


Finding Yourself

by Bludrag0n101



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Aftermath of Torture, Alcohol, Alternate Canon, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Smut, F/M, Feels, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, My First Fanfic, Shameless Smut, Wicked Grace (Dragon Age)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-28
Updated: 2020-04-02
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:01:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 12
Words: 18,117
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23355874
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bludrag0n101/pseuds/Bludrag0n101
Summary: Katyr Lavellan just wanted to live a normal Dalish life after the hardships he had suffered throughout his youth.  But when he is sent on a mission to spy on the human Conclave in Fereldan, he gets more than he ever could have bargained for.  Finding himself at the forefront of a Chantry organization outside of Chantry approval, can he find a way to save the world from the doom it was racing towards, all the while keeping his new clan, his new family a secret from the shems that might destroy it?Katyr doesn't know who he can trust if anyone.  But with the help of a snarky dwarf, an intuitive Qunari, a rogue spy with ties to his long lost family, and a silver eyed Tevinter mage, maybe he can just save the world.(Mostly Canon, but with a little twisting of dialog and a spin on just how some events occurred. No one likes to read the game straight through.)
Relationships: Alistair/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Fenris/Female Hawke, Male Inquisitor/Dorian Pavus
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
Stupid Shems. Stupid Fade. Stupid Keeper.  
When I had left my clan to go scout out this grand conclave among the humans, I had thought it a waste of time. And I hadn’t been mistaken. At least at first.  
But when I found myself chained in the dungeon of a Chantry, being threatened by an angry Seeker, I realized something had gone very wrong.   
Outside of the conclave, I had never spent much time around humans. My clan had been content to spend as little time around the volatile race as possible. And I could now understand why.   
That day was a hazy blur to me.  
I remembered being half marched, half carried from the Chantry and seeing the Breach for the first time. My hand had been burning like liquid fire rested in my palm, the pain racing in pulses through my veins. I was sure I was going to die before the end of the day. Either by a Shem hand or because of the mark on my hand.  
I was testy by nature and experience and combined with the pain of the mark, the Seeker and I really seemed to hit it off well. She only threatened to kill me a half dozen times.  
I remember being attacked by a couple shades that had catapulted out of the sky like a meteor. When I had scavenged a pair of daggers in the ruins of the bridge we had been traversing and helped kill the demons, she had tried to threaten me again.  
“Do you expect me to wade through this demon infested mountain, unarmed, and survive? If you’re so eager to see me dead, slit my throat now, Seeker. It will be a far cleaner death than most.” I glared at the hard faced Seeker for a long moment before she finally dropped her sword point.  
“Don’t make me regret this.” She simply said as she walked away.  
We had trudged up the mountain tirelessly, and things grew hazy in my pain. The mark continued to spasm at continually more frequent intervals and it was difficult to remain fully conscious of my surroundings.  
I remembered meeting a dwarf of quick wit and another elf with a calm demeanor. He had tried to explain something about the mark after using it to close a rift, but as incoherent as I was, I don’t remember much of the conversation.   
The dwarf, Varric, seemed to realize I was barely holding on and hushed the elf, Solas.   
“Is this a good idea, Seeker? The kid seems to barely be holding onto consciousness as it is. You could kill him attempting this.” I growled slightly, baring my sharp canines at the dwarf for his assumptions. Even if he was right.  
“We don’t have a choice, Varric. We will all be dead by morning if we do nothing.” At least the Seeker seemed to look concerned.   
“Just move.” I hissed. Solas nodded sharply motioning with his staff for the Seeker to take the lead through the valley. Varric shouldered his odd crossbow, eyes watching me carefully.   
“I’m not dead yet, dwarf.” I hissed and followed the Seeker with more bravado than I felt capable of.  
The rest was a blur. Yelling at a Chantry peacock. Scaling the side of a mountain and finally reaching the Temple of Sacred Ashes.  
I remembered a pride demon. It was huge and almost impossible to forget. Not to mention my own impossible stupidity.  
The demon had cornered Varric and a group of soldiers, its electric whip flying through the air wildly. I reacted on instinct. Time seemed to slow as I darted from crumbling perch to crumbling perch, until I made a wild leap and landed on the demon’s back, daggers stabbing deep.  
The demon twisted violently, trying to dislodge me, but I held on with everything I had, unwilling to give in yet.   
I remembered Varric’s wide eyes, the fear reflected in them. I heard Cassandra crying out in fear or concern. Felt Solas’ barrier fall over me, giving me whatever protection he could.  
I wrenched a dagger free of the demon, holding on with only one dagger. I roared in fury and plunged the blade into the demon’s head.   
Someone was screaming. I felt the demon begin to just fade away as their ilk did. And then I was falling.  
I woke an indeterminate amount of time later, Solas’ glowing hands roving over my battered body. I groaned, reflexively curling in a defensive manner.  
“Thank the Maker!” Cassandra ground out. I snorted. The Maker had nothing to do with me.  
“Can you stand?” She asked carefully. I glared at her, spitting out blood. She winced giving me a little satisfaction.  
“Seeker, give the kid some time. He almost died. Again.” Varric chastised the woman. I knew I had saved the dwarf for some reason.  
“There’s no time. If another one of those demons come through, we’re finished.” Cassandra hissed. Varric raised his hands defensively but glared at the Seeker.   
I rolled unsteadily to my knees and Solas gripped me under my armpit and helped hoist me to my feet.   
“What do I do?” I asked him sharply. He studied my face for a long moment before nodding grimly.   
“Same as the smaller ones. The rift and the mark react in each other’s presence. Without time to study how it works, we just have to hope it’s enough.” Solas explained. I snorted.   
Oh, yes, hope. And maybe Fen’harel will walk the world once more, the Maker at his side.  
Solas helped me limp towards where the rift glowed overhead. I took a steadying breath and thrust my marked hand out towards the rift.  
It was like someone was trying to rip my arm off. I growled, the force of the magic, the pain of it, dropping me to my knees once more. But I didn’t stop. Didn’t try to break away. If I had to die, at least I would do it with some dignity.  
Someone was screaming. I thought it might be me. But before I could stop myself, I was slipping away.   
Darkness took me. At least it was quiet now.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
I woke sharply. I reached for a weapon that was not there, wincing in pain. My chest was wrapped in thick bandages, obviously trying to stabilize broken ribs. My breath was sucked away by the pain of it.  
Someone dropped something heavy and I looked around wildly.   
Where the hell am I?  
A city elf had dropped to her knees, a box of elfroot and bandages tipped on its side, contents spilling all over the place.   
“I’m sorry, your worship. I didn’t expect you to be awake.” The small elf woman stumbled over her words.  
Your worship?  
“It’s alright. Tell me what happened? Is the Breach closed?” The woman rose to her feet, looking around wildly, like a caged animal.  
“Seeker Pentagast wanted to know when you awoke. She said right away.” The woman dashed for the door, closing me in the small cabin.   
What the hell was going on?   
Well, whatever it was, I needed to find something suitable to wear. And possibly a weapon. I would be damned if I was going to just let the Seeker cart me off to Orlais for a trial. I hadn’t done anything wrong. At least I couldn’t remember doing anything wrong. And I wasn’t going to let the Shems blame whatever did happen on another elf.  
I gingerly swung my legs off the side of the bed and assessed my injuries. Broken ribs, probably three. The back of my head stung, but not badly enough to worry about. Thankfully my marked hand was, well not exactly pain free, but close enough.   
I stared at my left palm curiously. It was almost as if a miniature rift resided in the palm of my hand. It wasn’t as if it was a hole in my hand, but it swirled with a muted green light. I was sure that in the darkness it would be a beacon. Gloves seemed prudent. Possibly for the rest of my life.  
As I stood and began to rummage through the wardrobe beside the bed, I idly wondered what my Keeper would think about what had happened, both at the conclave and since. Surely she would protect me if I was able to get away. They didn’t know who I was or what clan I came from. All I had to do was get away.  
I found a pair of soft leather breeches, a loose white shirt, and a forest green tunic. Someone had even left my daggers on top of the dresser. How odd.  
As quickly as I could with the broken ribs, I dressed. As much as I loathed them, I even took the provided boots. It was too cold to even consider running barefoot. A heavy cloak lined with fennec fur hung from a peg by the door. I pulled the hood over my face and made one last look around the small cabin before moving to the window.   
Thankfully it slid open without a sound and I carefully clambered out and shut it behind me. If they were watching, it was likely at the door, not the window.  
I made it all of ten feet towards the perimeter of the encampment before I heard a low chuckle. I whirled around, the sudden movement making my ribs scream in pain.   
Thankfully it was only Varric.   
He leaned heavily against the side of the cabin I had just vacated, polishing his crossbow idly.   
“I told Red you’d try to take the window. But she didn’t think you could force your broken ribs to cooperate with your choice. Looks like she owes me five sovereigns.” Varric holstered his crossbow and ambled towards me.   
I hissed slightly, backing away. There was no way I could run from him if he chose to use that damn crossbow. I had seen how easily he handed it and how quickly it worked.   
“I saved your life.” I spat at the dwarf. Varric blinked in surprise, stopping a few paces away.   
“If you want to leave, I won’t stop you. I doubt anyone here would. But out there…There are plenty of people who would do you harm, kid. You might have wowed the believers here, but plenty of people will just see an elf the Chantry has officially sanctioned a bounty on. You wouldn’t last a week.” Varric raised his hands carefully, as if trying to calm a spooked animal.  
“I’m not a kid. And I’m perfectly capable of staying hidden. I won’t let them drag me to Orlais for a trial. I did nothing wrong. I did what the Seeker wanted of me. It’s not my fault it didn’t work.” I could easily see the Breach still swirling lazily in the sky. It was calmer, but not gone.  
“Calm down, Blade. No one is putting you on trial. Maker, you’re a bloody hero to this lot. Even if Roderick demands otherwise. The Seeker and Red won’t let them have you. And they won’t stop you if you decide to leave. But you should hear them out. Let them apologize.” I blinked. Apologize?  
“Have you met scary one and scary two? Because I don’t think apologies are even in their vocabulary.” Varric chuckled at my dry wit.   
“Perhaps you have a point. Most of the time. But they do know how to admit they were wrong. I know from experience. You stopped the Breach from growing. We owe you more than you realize. Just…give them a chance. Plus, don’t you want to see the looks on their faces when they have to choke out their apologies?” Varric offered a hand and I stared at it dubiously.   
The forest called to me and I turned to regard it longingly. I had never wanted to leave my clan. Never wanted this mission. And given how this had all turned out, I could strangle my Keeper for sending me anyways.  
But there was something in Varric’s eyes, some bit of honesty, compassion even. I had trusted the dwarf before.   
But if he was lying…  
Trust. “Promise me I won’t be harmed. Promise me that they will let me walk away if I so choose.” I demanded high handedly. Varric nodded slowly.   
“I promise, Blade. I will walk you out of here the minute you say go if that’s what you want. Me and Bianca won’t let anyone within ten feet of you.” I raised a questioning eyebrow. Varric chuckled and stroked his crossbow lovingly. Creators, he’s named his crossbow. And he was petting it like a lover.  
I looked once more to the forest, so close, yet so far away. And I let loose a long sigh before turning to follow the crazy dwarf.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feedback is always appreciated =)


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
Creators, what had I gotten myself into? Or more rightly, what had I let Varric get me into?  
I had let the dwarf lead me to the Chantry, all eyes following us, many people stopping to bow or mutter a prayer to their Maker. Shems.  
Roderick had tried to have me arrested. Again. But true to Varric’s word, Leliana and Cassandra had not allowed it.   
And then more shockingly, they forced his hands tied by producing a writ from none other than Divine Justinia herself. Reforming something called the Inquisition. Great. Now I was in the middle of not only a catastrophe of unheard proportions but now a heretical movement against a Chantry I didn’t even support.   
Roderick stormed out and Cassandra and Leliana explained their purpose. What the Inquisition of old had once been. What Divine Justinia had wanted them to do with this power. They weren’t ready, but their hands had been tied. It was their only maneuver to outwit a Chantry that was now in shambles.   
And somehow, they decided they wanted my help. That I would be a good fit. A yet to be decided role right alongside the leaders. An agent to walk the fields of battle and conflict and right the wrongs of the world.   
I just wanted to go home.   
But who else could close the rifts that had sprung up all over southern Thedas? If their ambassador, spy master, and commander had to remain in Haven to run this Inquisition, they needed someone they could trust in the field. Apparently, Cassandra didn’t seem to want the job. Or perhaps they all agreed she wasn’t up to the job.   
Varric has just watched from the corner of the room, polishing his crossbow, but listening intently. His presence was reassuring. And the advisors seemed to realize I wouldn’t stay without him. So they allowed him privy to the council meeting.   
Somehow I had agreed to help. Temporarily. They needed me to close the Breach once and for all. And no one else could do that. So I agreed to stay and help until such a time as it was deemed safe.   
But when they began to bicker about how they were going to accomplish such a feat, who exactly they would approach to either power up my mark or disrupt the power of the Breech, I couldn’t take any more.   
I caught Varric’s eye and he nodded sharply before getting to his feet and holstering Bianca.   
“As fun as this has all been, I’m taking Blade here to get drunk. Find us when you have something for Bianca to shoot and Blade to stab.” Varric shouted over the din. I sighed in relief and let the dwarf usher me out of the too small room, the eyes of Leliana, Cassandra, Cullen, and Josephine watching us wearily.  
And that was how I found myself in the little tavern with Varric, drinking something called ale for the first time. It tasted like piss, but after the first tankard, I had a pleasant buzz in the back of my head that dulled the throbbing in my chest.  
“So…that was awkward. You did better than I expected, Blade.” Varric pushed a new tankard forward and I took it gratefully.   
“It was bloody awful. They’ll never get anything done if they keep arguing like that.” Varric nodded in agreement.  
“It doesn’t really matter right now anyways. You need to heal those ribs before you go anywhere. Their bickering will give you time.” I snorted derisively.   
“They’re fools for starting this movement without a leader. Each of them hold equal power and thus an agreement will never be made without consensus. Which they will never have. Not to mention that the Chantry has already denounced us. We’ll be fighting one another for months with the wolves circling our decaying corpse.” Varric winced.   
“They’ll figure this out, Blade. Just give them time.” I grunted.   
“Why do you keep calling me that?” I asked curiously. Varric chuckled.   
“All of my friends get nicknames. It’s fun. Back in Kirkwall, I gave all of Hawke’s companions names. It lightens the mood. And it’s good for writing.” I blinked. Kirkwall? No way…  
“You’re…You’re the Varric? Writer of Tales of the Champion?” I spluttered around my ale. Varric thumped me on the back before I could choke and nodded gleefully.   
“I wondered when you would make the connection. You were a little out of it on the mountain. Must have missed that part of the introduction.” I blinked, still trying to process everything. Even as remote as my clan had been, I knew the story of Marian Hawke. It was the reason the Mage-Templar war had begun. Why the conclave had been convened.   
“You look a little star struck there, Blade.” Varric teased. I finally drew in a full breath.   
“Tell me everything.” I pleaded. Varric chuckled.  
“Do you have a few years?” He taunted. But launched into his story nonetheless.  
Three days later, a letter was delivered via raven to Leliana. One Revered Mother Giselle was requesting aid in the Hinterlands. And offering information about how to approach the Chantry in return for our efforts in the region.  
They were outfitted by Harrit, the blacksmith Leliana had recruited for the Inquisition. New blades and armor all embossed with the heraldry of the Inquisition.   
The new Herald of Andraste had to look his best. Even if he hated the name and the implications that he was in any way connected to the Chantry. Even if none of them knew his real name.   
But as Kaytr Lavellan began his trek into the wilds around Haven, breathing freely for the first time in over a week, he couldn’t seem to muster his usual venom. He had a purpose. And he wouldn’t rest until he was free to return to his clan and family.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
Cullen and Leliana had sent their forward scouts and soldiers to the Hinterlands a couple days ahead of Cassandra, Varric, Solas, and I. It was nearly a three day hike through the wilderness of Fereldan to get to the Crossroad of the Hinterlands where Mother Giselle was tending to the wounded in the heart of the Mage-Templar war.   
Varric was good at keeping spirits up. Between his stories about Hawke and her companions or teaching each of them to play a card game called Wicked Grace, he was constantly keeping the fragile peace among a group of people who until recently had been at odds with one another.   
Try as I might to sit and talk with Solas, he was a very quiet and tight lipped man. He shared little without cause and I couldn’t blame him. He had been an apostate mage his whole life, living outside of clans and the city alike. Until recently, if he had been caught he would have been either killed on sight or drug to a Circle Tower and made to bow before his Templar lords.  
And it was difficult to trust Cassandra after our violent first meeting. They had known each other a very short amount of time and little of it had been good. It was obvious that she was trying to be polite, but she was nearly as tight lipped as Solas. And much more foully tempered.  
Which left Varric. I supposed it could have been worse. Varric was good at keeping the attention on himself and not prying where he wasn’t wanted. He asked few questions, but shared a great deal about himself and his past exploits. It made him easy to trust, though I was sure there was plenty he was not sharing.  
By the time we reached the Inquisition camp just above the Crossroads I was glad to finally be among other faces, even if many of them still stared at me as though the sun shone out my ass. Lead Scout Harding was a refreshing change of pace. The diminutive dwarf was chipper and to the point, even if she still called me Herald and Your Worship.   
Harding apprised us of the situation in the Hinterlands and specifically what was happening in the Crossroads. The Inquisition soldiers had mostly secured the small village, but threats of further outbreaks hovered in the air like smoke.   
“We’re going to need to do something about the mages and Templars in the area. If we do nothing, they will tear this region to pieces.” Cassandra lamented around the camp fire that night. For once I agreed with her. These people didn’t deserve what was happening here.  
“Tomorrow, we need to secure the Crossroads and meet with Giselle. We must convince her to travel to Haven, where she will be safest and be able to work with Josephine and Leliana. Once we’re sure the Crossroads are secure, we will have to work out where the Templars and Mages are holed up and deal with them as quickly as possible. Not to mention we need to find Dennet and secure mounts.” I looked over a map that Harding had been using to keep track of enemy movements.   
“We’ve tried to parlay with both groups, but so far they have not even tried to work with us. Or even listen. I fear that we may have to eradicate them if they continue to fight us at every step.” Harding sighed. I nodded.   
“Do you have any ideas where their main encampments are located?” I asked her curiously. She shrugged.   
“The Mages are somewhere in the Witchwood. And we think the Templars have a base not too far from Dennet’s farm. But we don’t have exact positions yet. We’ve been too busy holding the Crossroads to investigate further.” I nodded thoughtfully.   
“Let us deal with the Crossroads now. I want your best scouts out tomorrow finding their strongholds. We will make one attempt each to parlay and have them stand down. If they refuse or even appear to want to cause our people harm, we will take them down. This conflict has raged for too long.” Cassandra nodded approvingly.   
“If it comes to taking them down, any who surrender will be taken into Inquisition custody. They can choose conscription or imprisonment, but they will not be free to wander the countryside until this conflict is resolved peacefully. Any prisoners will be disarmed, stripped of rank and title until judged by the Inquisition or a magistrate of Fereldan. Those we can transport to Haven will be, and in no uncertain terms will they be treated harshly or inhumanly unless they resist. I want all of our people to understand this, Harding.” The dwarf nodded.   
“It will be done, your Worship.” I sighed heavily before standing. My body ached and my ribs, though mostly healed thanks to Solas and time, twinged as I stretched.   
“I want you all to get some sleep. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow.” Everyone nodded curtly. I nodded back to them before disappearing into the bright red tent set aside for me.  
The Crossroads were a nightmare. We had barely arrived when the first attack was struck by the Templars.   
They were not expecting us however. As much as I loathed to admit it, we made a fantastic team. Solas and Varric would hammer the flanks, driving the Templars into a cluster of confusion, giving Cassandra the perfect opening to slam into them like a hammer. I darted around, striking from their flanks before disappearing once more. They never saw me coming, but I was the last thing many of them saw.  
Within minutes, the Templar party, maybe ten strong, was down and out for the count. No one had been hurt and no damage had been sustained to the village.   
We were in the process of clearing the bodies from the road when the mages struck.  
If we hadn’t been preoccupied, it would likely have gone just as smoothly as before. But we had been scattered and our scouts distracted and looking the wrong directions.   
A house was ablaze before we knew what hit us. People were screaming and running panicked through the streets and between houses. Children were crying and I became disoriented quickly.   
Someone was trapped in the burning house and I could hear their screams for help.   
“Solas!” I shouted above the din. I couldn’t see the mage, but his magic was harder to miss as it tracked the mages to where they were hiding behind houses and statues.   
I felt more than saw the barrier fall in place over me, and I did the only thing I could think of. I rushed the crumbling door of the burning house. It crumbled beneath me and I looked around for the three humans cowering in the corner.   
“This way! Now!” I shouted over the roar of the fire. The husband scooped the little one off the floor and pushed his wife from the house. I followed on their coattails, the sound of the roof collapsing crashing behind me as we quickly escaped the blaze.  
Our people were rallying finally. Cassandra had taken out a great swath of mages with a Silence and they lay on the ground, unconscious. The few who still remained were quickly dispatched by Inquisition forces.   
Cassandra and one of our soldiers who was once a Templar rounded up the unconscious mages and bound them in chains before administering magebane to drain their magic. I left them to Cassandra’s charge as I sought out Harding to increase the watch around the village. We couldn’t afford another attack like that again.  
Once the watch had been reestablished, I sought out Mother Giselle who was working with the healers on the growing number of injured.   
The woman was older, maybe fifty with dark skin and careworn wrinkles around her eyes and mouth. She was gently soothing an injured man and I waited patiently for her to finish before stepping forward.  
She blinked in surprise as she took me in. I could only imagine what she was thinking but there were a number of good possibilities. Most of them having to do with my heritage I was sure.  
But she didn’t linger or stare. She approached me slowly, obviously in a mild amount of discomfort.  
“You must be the agent of the Inquisition Sister Leliana spoke of in her letter. I am Mother Giselle. It is good to see friendly faces.” She bowed slightly and I mimicked her awkwardly. Humans.  
“You said you had valuable information for the Inquisition?” I jumped right into it. I was tired already and didn’t feel like mincing words with a Chantry Mother.   
“Indeed. Come. We can speak in the house I have been allotted. I’m afraid my old joints don’t hold up as well as they once did.” She smiled kindly and gestured to a house not far. I followed a few paces behind, wishing I could snag one of the others for this conversation.  
Once the Mother had settled into a chair beside the fire and I took up one opposite hers, she sighed in relief. Her eyes bespoke of her exhaustion and I wondered how long she had been working with the villagers since this all began.  
“You are not what I expected, Herald, though I suppose that is often more true than not. Tell me, how did you come to be a part of the Inquisition?” She smiled kindly enough and I wanted to grit my teeth. She knew more than she implied. After all she had requested this meeting.  
“I happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I don’t remember what happened, only that when I woke, I had a strange mark on my hand and I was able to close rifts with it. Someone blew up the Temple of Sacred Ashes with me inside and I survived. They asked me to stay and help close the Breech. Once my part is over, I will return to my clan.” I answered as curtly as I could. Giselle chuckled warmly, but it grated.  
“A good Samaritan. Such a novelty these days. Tell me honestly, Herald, did they coerce you into this position? Or is this truly where you wish to be?” She continued to smile blandly.   
“I support what the Inquisition wishes to do, if that is what you are asking. And as I am the only one with the ability to close the rifts, I suppose this is where the Creators want me to be. But no, they did not force me to remain.” Giselle nodded thoughtfully.   
“Then you believe in the elven gods? What do you think about being called the Herald of Andraste?” She continued to prod. I narrowed my eyes slightly.   
“It’s honestly infuriating. I do not, nor will I ever believe in your Maker. Neither he nor his bride chose me for some great purpose. And before you ask, no I do not believe my Creators plucked me from obscurity for this either. But that does not mean that they would want me to just abandon those who cannot help themselves. We do what we can with the cards dealt to us. We do not expect the dealer to know how each will fall.” Giselle nodded, seemingly happy with my answer.  
“Yet, you have not deigned to give your name or the name of your clan to the advisors of the Inquisition. You hate that they all you Herald or Worship, but you give them no other alternatives. Why is that?” She asked simply. I smiled, baring as many of my teeth as was able without actually snarling.   
“Because my people are hunted enough in this world without painting yet another target on their backs. Have you forgotten what happened to the clan of the Hero of Fereldan?” Giselle actually had the grace to look distressed.   
It was well known that after the Blight, after giving everything of herself to save the world, the Hero of Fereldan’s clan was destroyed, the remnants scattered to the winds. For no other reason than someone hated elves.   
Sometimes I could still hear them screaming.  
“The men responsible for that heinous act where killed by Warden Alistair. His love did not give her life so that her people would be targeted once more. And as far as I had heard tell, Queen Annora has given the Dalish more rights than ever before granted them.” Giselle tried to reason. I hissed.   
“Rights? You want to speak to me of the rights afforded to my people? We are hunted and killed wherever we go. No matter that it is punishable by death. The killers are never brought to justice. We will never have the rights humans have. Elves are forced into poverty in alienages across Thedas, killed for crimes they do not commit. Our women are sullied and broken because humans think that have rights to us. The humans in the south are little better than Tevinter Magisters. So no, I will not share my name or that of my clan, or even where we call home. They will remain safe because I am no fool to trust the Shemlens of Thedas!” I rose bitterly from my chair. I had not come here to be disrespected.   
“I understand your caution. And I apologize for digging into a wound so fresh for your people. I only wished to understand you. And perhaps give you guidance for how to proceed. The Chantry is an unforgiving institution in the best of times, Herald. You must understand how they will take to you and the prejudices they will have.” Giselle remained seated as I fumed silently, still debating on leaving. Finally I shook my head, silver hair falling over my shoulder and across my chest.   
What had I gotten myself into?


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
Mother Giselle had been insightful, if terribly grating. I had left her house, pulse still pounding in my head. Stupid Chantry. Stupid Shems.  
Varric found me quickly, and noting my apocalyptic rage he pulled me to the side gently.  
“I take it the meeting didn’t go as planned? Will she not help us then?” He asked quietly. I paced between two houses, mind whirling.  
“She’s going to help. Is helping. She just has a knack for pissing me off apparently. I need to get out of here and cool down before I kill someone on accident.” Varric nodded slowly.  
“One of the scouts said they need food or they’re not going to make it long. Perhaps we can go hunting?” He offered tentatively. I smiled wickedly.  
“Perfect. I’m going to requisition me a bow and arrows. I’ll meet you outside of town. There were plenty of August Rams south of the main camp.” Varric nodded.  
“While you find a bow, I’m going to tell the Seeker and Chuckles what we’re doing so no one panics.” I nodded absently as the dwarf strolled away.  
I found Harding giving orders to the remaining scouts and soldiers on the hillside. She offered me her own bow threatening to skin me alive if I broke it. That at least earned her a chuckle.  
Varric and I strolled out of the village with single-minded purpose. I needed to kill something. And Varric wouldn’t press. At least not too hard.  
Killing rams was almost too easy. Within an hour, we had amassed about a dozen rams, enough to feed the village for a while as long as they were careful. And I was finally not going to assassinate the Revered Mother.  
“So…Do you want to talk about it?” Varric finally prodded as we carted the rams back to camp. I sighed heavily, pulling my hair away from my face.  
“The Revered Mother thinks the Chantry is going to tear my credibility apart because I refuse to give them my name or the name of my clan.” Varric was silent for a long while before sighing.  
“You know she might be right?” Varric finally admitted. I sighed heavily.  
“Of course she’s right! But that doesn’t change that I will not willingly endanger my friends and family. They’re all I have Varric.” It started as a heated outburst but ended weakly. Varric gave me a sad look but didn’t press the matter.  
Once the villagers were fed and the sun began to set low in the sky, I went in search of Cassandra to see if she had gotten anything out of the prisoners and to see if Harding’s men had learned anything of merit.  
Harding had not.  
Cassandra was like an angry badger. Babysitting rebel mages apparently made her cranky because several of them had spat on her instead of answering her questions. I dismissed her, leaving myself and Varric alone with the half dozen mages.  
“We’re not giving you nothing, Knife-ear. Just kill us and be done with it.” One of the bigger men spout. I snorted. Name calling. How childish.  
“Varric, see to it they’re brought dinner. And bedrolls. I’ll watch them for a little while.” Varric grunted and tottered off. I plunked myself down on the hard floors of the recently abandoned home. I wondered if its owner still lived.  
“What do you want, elf? Think you’ll pressure us with your silence?” The big one spat again. I sighed.  
“What I would like is a little peace and quiet. I don’t care if you say anything. It’s not my place to judge you and if you won’t help up stop this madness, I have no use for you. You’ve pissed off my Seeker which means she’s going to be pricklier than a mother badger for the remainder of our stay. So what I would like is for you to shut up before I gag you as well as have you bound.” Apparently that was not what the mage had been expecting because he just looked at me slack jawed for a long while. I closed my eyes and leaned back against the wall of the house wearily.  
Shems.  
One of the females chuckled lightly and I gave her a bored look. She just smiled blandly under the cowl of her deep robes, barely more than a pair of ruby lips, and waved her hand dismissively.  
Shems.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
We spent three days hunting down supply caches for the villagers, closing fade rifts, and an assortment of random and meaningless quests while Harding’s men continued to search for the Templar and Mage encampments. But it was worth it all to see the tearful faces of the locals who had been living in fear for far too long.   
The hard edges of our group also seemed to dissolve as we were forced to work together. It surprised me that as rough and sharp as Cassandra seemed, she was equally as compassionate and kind. And Solas, while aloof, was always willing to lend his expertise with healing magic when they encountered those in need. It was surprisingly refreshing to work cohesively with a group of givers.  
Eventually, Harding worked her magic and found traces of the mages and Templars apparently from thin air. It was about time too. Wandering about aimlessly was as grating as it was rewarding, especially when we would encounter a group of refugees scared out of their minds that they were about to be attacked. Again.   
True to my word, I sent letters to each encampment, words of peace and cooperation. And as expected, each letter was responded to with harsh threats and demands of their own.   
It was infuriating, to say the least. But not unexpected. I even went as far as trying to beg a solution from the captive mages, but they all refused to speak. How a group of people could be so pig headed about their own demise, I couldn’t understand.  
So we planned our assault on each encampment very carefully. Each group was holed up in defensible positions, but they had backed themselves into corners, unable to escape should a fight turn against them. Why they had not simply pressed that advantage on their enemy, I wasn’t sure, but it worked for us. As long as we were careful, we could be in and out of each encampment within hours.  
I was surprised when Harding interrupted our planning to tell me one of the prisoners wanted to speak with me. Alone.   
“This could be little more than a ruse to get you off guard before our attack, Herald.” Cassandra warned me as I approached the tent that had been set up as an interrogation chamber. Harding nodded her head in agreement.   
“If there even a chance that I can stop needless slaughter, I will try.” I deflected them both. Cassandra made one of her trademark disgusted noises and Harding just gave me a sad look.   
“Just holler if you need us, Your Worship.” Harding warned me before pulling the tent flap open and standing aside to let me into the small space. I nodded curtly and slipped inside.   
It was the woman with the ruby lips that had chuckled at me that first day. But she was no longer chuckling. And no longer hiding behind her cowl.   
And not a human.  
I forced my face to remain neutral as I took in the Dalish elf turned circle mage. Pouty red lips, emerald eyes lined with silver, and long red hair framed her shaking shoulders. Mythal’s vallaslin was etched along her brow and cheeks in a deep green ink.   
“You wanted to speak?” I asked taking the chair that had been set before the elven woman. She nodded sharply, chest heaving slightly.   
“I heard rumors that your men plan to take our encampment tomorrow. That you will kill any who do not surrender.” I didn’t bother confirming or denying her words, but she swallowed thickly.   
“My brother…he…he doesn’t understand. He will fight because I never returned to him. He’s so young. You…I will beg…I will do anything…anything…” She began crying in earnest. I frowned uncomfortably.   
“Can you convince them to lay down their arms and come peacefully?” I asked her not unkindly. She shook her head and shrugged at the same time.   
“I…They won’t listen, Herald. They think themselves above this. They think they were meant for this path, for rebellion. They would rather die.” She wiped uselessly at her face with her cuffed hands. I could see where the cuff had begun to cut into her wrists, leaving them swollen and bruised.   
“Would you try?” I asked her softly. She looked at me surprised.   
“You would let me leave?” She asked uncertainly. I shrugged noncommittally.   
“I do not wish for more bloodshed than is necessary. I’m not here to mindlessly massacre either side. But these people, they are innocent. And this war has torn through their homes. Claimed innocent lives. I will do what I must to stop this. If that means claiming lives in the name of peace, we will do so.” The elven woman sucked in a stuttering breath.   
“Tell me how to help. What would keep my family alive?” She asked boldly. I considered her for a long moment.   
“We release you. You go back to them and tell them whatever they need to hear to lay down their arms and come peacefully. If they do not force this fight, they will not be prisoners, per se. Well looked after guests of the Inquisition, if you would. Able to earn or lose their freedoms as they saw fit. They will not find a fairer compromise.” The woman seemed to consider what I was offering.  
“You would have them fight for the Inquisition?” She asked carefully. I shrugged.  
“Not unless they wish it. They could fight, heal, build, enchant, brew…you get the idea. They have but to prove they mean the world no ill will. Atone for their wrongdoing. Perhaps learn something of the wider world they never knew. Find a place among its people instead of blasting a hole in them.” I picked disinterestedly at my nails.   
“And if I do this, you will spare me and my brother?” She asked. I nodded.   
“Your job isn’t to force their cooperation, but to make them see the sense of standing down. If they should choose to force this fight, if they refuse to let you leave with your brother, keep out of the way. Keep your brother out of the way. It will not be pretty and it will likely haunt you for years, but you will not be harmed by me or mine. But if you can, I would get out before. Your bother will not want to see what happens if they fight.” The woman nodded shallowly.   
“I’ll do as you ask, Herald. I swear it.” The woman was trembling terribly.   
“I will have someone come and see to your needs and clean the wounds on your wrists. I will see you to the edge of our camp. But don’t get any ideas. If you betray us, I will kill you myself.” The woman swallowed, but nodded.   
“Good. Tell your people they have until noon to decide. Any and all who stand down, who stand aside, will be spared. Any who fight…” I let the words trail off dangerously.   
“I promise.” She wiped at the relieved tears streaking down her face as I rose from my seat and called for Harding and Cassandra.  
“I want Solas to heal her wrists. She’s going to try to convince the mages to stand down.” I conferred with both women quickly. Both gaped.   
“You can’t possibly trust her! She will do nothing more than convince them to run and fight another day. We have them in our sights, Herald. If they get away, who knows how much damage the can do.” Cassandra berated me. I gave her a steady look.   
“You could be right. But that is why I want our people in the Witchwood. If they run, we must stop them. Do you understand?” Harding nodded.   
“Herald…” I cut Cassandra off with a look.   
“She has been warned. If she tries to flee, if she fights, she dies by my hand. But if there is any chance, any chance at all, to mitigate the bloodshed, we will let her try. She has a younger brother among the mages. I trust that she values his life more than even her own. She will try. And I gave my word that as long as she and her brother do not fight, they will have our protection. Now find Solas.” Cassandra’s teeth snapped together in agitation before she stormed off.  
“I know it’s not my place, your worship, but I wouldn’t piss off the Seeker. She can be meaner than an asp and twice as stubborn.” Harding glanced towards Cassandra’s retreating back. I snorted.   
“If she wanted to make the decisions, she had that right. But they asked me to lead this excursion, so she will follow orders. I will not kill innocents. These people have been terrorized their whole lives. That mage in there was likely expelled from her clan simply because she could use magic. Then she was forced into a human circle, forced to give up everything she ever knew. I do not blame a single mage for wanting to fight for freedom. And if I can grant even one of those mages a better life, a life where they can choose to be better, then I will. If Cassandra cannot see the worth of any one of their lives, then she is not the woman that I have come to know. She might not like the choice I made, but she will listen and perhaps she will be able to see a better side of these people.” Harding stared at me for a long moment.  
“If even one of those mages survives tomorrow, it will be worth it, your worship. And for what it’s worth, you have my support in this. Too many have suffered. It has to end somewhere. Let it be with us. Maker watch over you.” Harding bowed slightly before ambling off to give orders to our scouts.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
The elven mage was healed and sent on her way, the eyes of each Inquisition agent upon her. I sent a prayer to the Creators that I was doing the right thing. That they would guide their wayward daughter. Protect her.  
The night was long. Harding received no word about the goings on among the mages, but neither did they try to flee. I supposed it could have been worse.   
Breakfast was heavy in my stomach as we approached the mage encampment in the heart of the Witchwood. It was eerily silent, no sign of anyone or anything. As if the world was holding its breath.  
The barrier that had been protecting the mouth of the cavern the mages had appropriated was down when we arrived. I gave Cassandra a questioning look, but she just shrugged.   
“Let’s go see who’s home, shall we?” I asked with false bravado. Cassandra drew her sword and Varric hefted Bianca, faces grim. Solas nodded curtly, a barrier falling into place over our little group and I took a steadying breath before stalking to the mouth of the cavern.  
The sight before us wasn’t what I expected. The mages were gathered near the rear of the cave, weapons strapped behind them. Their faces showed anything from fear to hatred and every bit of the spectrum in between.   
“Are you the one they call the Herald?” A man strode forward, hands empty. He was older, possibly forty or so with shaggy grey hair and haunted eyes. I nodded stepping forward uneasily.   
“I trust our message was received?” I asked smoothly. The mage nodded.   
“We have discussed your offer. But I want your word that we will be protected. That we will be free.” The man’s jaw worked furiously, but he refrained from continuing.   
“If you lay down your weapons, if you promise your services to the Inquisition, you will be afforded your freedom in due course. Once you have proven that you will no longer attack the innocent, that you have learned a better way. But you will be safe. You need not fight, if that is your choice. We have need of mages for a great many things. But you will be expected to earn your keep.” I gave the man a cool look.   
“We did not begin this fight.” The man stated as if it made up for everything that had been done.   
“I do not know, nor do I care who started this war. But it will end. Both sides of this war have committed atrocities on a scale never before seen in Thedas. Neither side is innocent.” The man glared.   
“We have only done what we must to survive. If the Templars…” I cut him off sharply with an upraised fist.   
“You do not get to tell me you have only done what you must to survive. Not a week past, your people attacked the village at the Crossroads. They caught a home ablaze with a simple spell, leaving the family inside to die. If it wasn’t for the efforts of the Inquisition, that family would have been burned alive. Tell me how such an atrocity was nothing more than a mage doing what they must to survive.” I hissed venomously. The mage paled, but did not reply.   
“The Templars will be dealt with. But your people have to answer for what has been done. The Hinterlands are a war ground. Homes have been destroyed, whole families murdered. If you wish for nothing more than to live as free men and women, then you will submit to my demands. The choices beyond them are not so freeing.” The mage scowled.   
“What of the Templars among the Inquisition? Who will protect us from them?” A woman piped up. I regarded her casually.   
“The Templars among the Inquisition work to restore peace. Their powers are a precaution against mages who would seek to do further harm. If you act peaceably then they will have no reason to use their powers. And if any of them step out of line of their own accord, they will be dealt with. Harshly.” I assured her.   
“And how long are we expected to atone for our supposed crimes?” Someone else called from within the crowd.   
“Until either the Inquisition no longer has need of you, or such a time as your prove you have learned your lesson. I have no way of knowing how long a period that may be. But perhaps consider this: on your own, you are hunted and distrusted. From within the Inquisition, you will be protected, sheltered. You will have food and shelter. Clothing. You will no longer have to eke out a living. What better opportunity will you have, given what has occurred?” The mages shuffled restlessly.   
“I will place my trust in the Inquisition.” The ruby lipped mage stepped from within the crowd. At her sided was what could be none other than her brother, maybe twelve or thirteen. He looked nervously up at his sister, eyes wide.   
“As will we.” Another pair stepped forward, two elderly humans. There was a moment of silence before staffs began to drop to the floor and the group pressed forward. I let loose a small breath as I turned to regard my companions.   
“Varric, I want you to find Harding. I want these mages to be escorted to Haven as soon as possible.” The dwarf nodded and took off out of the cavern quickly.   
“Have their weapons collected and inventoried. They will be given the opportunity to earn them back in time. I want guards stationed around this encampment until we can move them to Haven. They’re safest here, out of the way. Have our people set up a secondary camp in the woods outside. The Templars will hesitate to attack if both the Inquisition and mages reside here.” Cassandra nodded and headed off behind Varric. Solas gave me one of his curious looks but didn’t comment. He moved towards the mages, and began to collect their weapons.   
I sighed heavily and watched them all for a long moment. It wasn’t long before the red haired elf approached me. I gave her a half smile.   
“You did exceptionally well.” I offered her. She blushed slightly.   
“Not all of these people are evil. They’re scared. What you have offered them will give them peace of mind. It wasn’t nearly as difficult as I feared it would be.” She toyed with the ends of her hair nervously.   
“Be that as it may, you have my thanks. This day could have ended much more differently than it has. And it wouldn’t have happened at all without your help.” The elf nodded her head in acceptance.   
“I never got your name?” I half asked. She smiled.   
“Nor I yours. But you may call me Cremia. And as you probably figured out already, that is my brother, Taeral.” She motioned with her head towards the young elf who had stood at her side. He watched us nervously.   
“It is good to meet you, Cremia. For now, your people will remain here. We will have you transferred to Haven once the Templar threat has been dealt with. You will be safe here.” She nodded. I moved to leave the cavern.   
“I never got your name, Herald.” Cremia called boldly. I almost chuckled.   
“Call me Blade.” I shouted over my shoulder. I didn’t wait to see her reaction as I went in search of Harding to make sure plans were moving along.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8  
The Templars were not so easy to deal with. Once word had spread that the Inquisition had allowed the rebel mages to live, the Templars harried our forces throughout the Hinterlands.   
But despite their renewed assaults, we were ready for them. Additional recruits arrived the day after the mages had surrendered control to the Inquisition and we were able to press them back into their camp above the falls.   
We tried one last time to reason with them, to promote peace instead of war. But when our messenger’s head was delivered to our camp the following morning, we assaulted their encampment that day.   
The Templars would not yield as we marched through their ranks, eager to die rather than submit. It was a tragic waste of life, but they had made their beds.   
We mourned the loss of our scout and laid him to rest beneath a flowering tree atop the falls. A beautiful resting place worthy of respect and admiration.   
A raven from Haven requested our immediate return despite not having yet reached the horse master. Apparently Orlais had to be placated or something like that. No doubt a request made by the Revered Mother Giselle.   
We had enough of a presence in the Hinterlands, not to mention an end to the Mage-Templar conflict in the region, that I felt it was safe enough to leave. Harding was given orders to search out the horse master for our return, whenever that might happen.   
We packed up the mages and a small contingent of soldiers to accompany us back to Haven. The trip was slow and uneventful. The mages behaved themselves admirably, not trying to escape or cause any trouble. It was a relief though once Haven was in sight and I knew our time babysitting the errant rebels was at an end.  
We had barely made it past the gates of the village when we were fallen upon by the council members and a number of tittering nobles. Varric and Solas slipped away before they could be caught and I resigned myself to a lengthy war table session without even a moment to relax.  
Haven was bursting at the seams. Merchants, workers, craftsmen, mages, Templars, and pilgrims lined the makeshift street down the center of town, everyone straining to get a sight of their returning heroes. I was almost grateful to slip inside the Chantry just to escape the whispers and leers.  
“It is a pity the Templars could not be made to see reason as the mages did. I fear we will need more of their kind before long. Since your display, rogue mages have been arriving in drones to work with the Inquisition. It has become a safe haven of sorts.” Josephine tittered as we strolled into the war room. I sighed and dropped heavily into one of the rough chairs.   
“Can we have men trained? Quietly?” I asked curiously. I disliked the idea of monitoring the mages, but some precautions would have to be taken. Just in case.  
“We have no choice. With so many mages present it’s only a matter of time before abominations manifest. We need to establish rules, edicts.” Cullen fumed I sighed.   
“Do you think we’re going to imprison them? They came here to help, for help. We need to show them a modicum of trust. How else are we going to appear any better than the Chantry?” Leliana hissed. I nodded slightly.   
“Many of these mages are not innocent. We must be vigilant! All it will take is one wrong move and we will lose everything we have worked so hard towards.” Cullen hissed right back.   
“The nobles have expressed concern as well. They do not feel safe within the walls of Haven any longer.” Josephine added unhelpfully.   
“The Mages are free men and women. We cannot slip back. It will only make them angry and increase the chances of them doing something truly foolish.” Leliana said very quietly. I groaned inwardly. Is this why I had been called back?  
“The Chantry will only continue to denounce us if we become a harbor for the mages without restricting them. There will be no hope of contacting the Templars if they feel as though we have allied with their enemies.” Cullen slammed the table, toppling a few little figurines.   
“We do not need the full support of the Templars! If enough mages join our cause we will have what we need to seal the Breech without them!” Leliana raised her voice.   
“But what about after? We will not be able to function without Chantry support. The vast majority of Thedas will not trust us without them. At best we will appear to be a heretical force vying for power when the Chantry has been brought low. We need to find a way…” Josephine pleaded.   
“Enough!” I shouted over their bickering. The room fell silent, all eyes swiveling towards where I sat.   
“There is a solution to all of your problems. The Dalish have no need for Templars because they know how to police themselves. True, there are more mages here than within a single clan, but the principle is the same.” A few raised eyebrows.   
“The Mages must learn to police themselves. To prove they are worthy of the freedoms they have fought for.” Cullen sniffed dismissively, but Leliana looked intrigued.   
“You propose what exactly? That we train mages to kill mages?” Josephine asked distastefully.   
“Why does it have to be kill? Subdue, perhaps. But if the mages can learn, can trust one another, they can be so much more than we have given them credit for.” Josephine looked confused.   
“You truly believe that a mage would harm another mage to stop them from doing something foolish?” Cullen asked harshly.   
“If the alternative was being locked up in a circle or death, yes! The mages we brought back to Haven are proof of that. These mages have gathered here because they look up to the Inquisition to be better than the Chantry. I’m not saying we shouldn’t train some of the recruits who are willing as Templars. There are many practical reasons to do so. I’m not saying it won’t be difficult, but if the mages see their options being to police one another or be cast back into what they’re running from, they will step up. At least enough of them to make a difference.” Cullen shook his head in disbelief, but Leliana nodded.   
“We can try. They deserve at least that much. Perhaps this is the change that we need. That the world needs.” I nodded along to Leliana’s reasoning.   
“But how would we convince the world that this is the way? How do we convince the nobles that they can trust us?” Josephine almost whined. Almost.   
“Josephine, the world has been changing around us for years. Perhaps if the Inquisition can be a force to pioneer this change, to make it easier on all of Thedas, that can be your platform with the nobles. They can continue on as things are, letting the mages roam free dangerously, or they can work with us, with them, to make Thedas safe again. If they want to be a part of that change, to be heard, they need an organization willing to listen. We can bridge the gap.” Cassandra finally spoke up. I nodded along.   
“I see…Perhaps you have a point after all. Cullen?” Josephine asked carefully. Cullen rubbed his neck uneasily, but I could see his anger dissolving.   
“What happens if this experiment of yours doesn’t work? What if we fail and make more of a mess than we already have?” Cullen worried his neck, looking at me directly. I just smiled sadly.  
“Then we hope that what comes next isn’t another Imperium. Because if we fail that spectacularly, then that is exactly what will happen. Cullen, we can sit around and hope that the mages decide that they just want to disappear into obscurity. It likely will never happen. We can wait around for the Imperium to influence them, try to reclaim the south once more in their likeness. Or we can do something to stop this. To make it better. Can you honestly tell me that the way Thedas was before was better for everyone? That we can trust that system?” Cullen looked away quickly. I only knew the basics of his past, but enough to guess how little he believed in it any longer.  
“Mages will always exist Cullen. They have chosen to step out of their towers, to live as free men and women. And they will never fully submit to returning to that sort of life again. Circles will only become prisons, places for mages who tasted freedom to rot away under their overlords. Templars are not the answer any longer. They cannot be everywhere. It takes too long to train them and without the mages grouped together, the chance of them not only finding a mage when they are needed most, but stopping them before something goes wrong is nearly impossible. But if the mages can be taught a better way, can be accepted not only among the lower class, but everywhere, they stand a chance of leading normal lives.” Cullen sagged slightly, but finally nodded.   
“Leliana, I trust you can begin to implement something while I’m supposed to trudge off to Val Royeaux?” The spy master nodded.   
“Good. Now can we please discuss what this meeting is about so I can have a bath and dinner?” Leliana chuckled and Josephine made a distressed face.   
“Mother Giselle was made aware of a congregation of Chantry officials in Val Royeaux. They are meeting in a week to discuss what must be done within the Chantry and what threat we pose to them. We were advised to meet with them and assuage their fears. Or at least address them. Mother Giselle also informed us of your…hesitation to divulge your name and clan. She worries that if we do not do so, the Chantry will only continue to be a thorn in our side.” I looked up sharply at Leliana, eyes narrowed.   
“I am unwilling to change my position in this matter, spy master.” I hissed. She shook her head sadly, but sharply.   
“I understand well your hesitancy. I do not know if you are aware, but I once traveled with the Hero of Fereldan during the Blight. We were good friends. When Alistair and I learned what befell her clan, we were enraged. I accompanied the soldiers who brought justice on the men that did that. But you must understand…” I cut her off with a sharp motion of my hand.   
“I understand well enough, Leliana. But whether or not they know my name, my clan, they will continue to call me a knife-ear. They will only gain leverage over me. I will not abide by it, not for a single moment. You cannot guarantee the safety of my clan and I will not bring danger on their heads needlessly. Do not ask me again.” Leliana pursed her lips angrily.   
“Leave it be, Leliana.” Cassandra warned her. I blinked in surprise, but didn’t dare to look at my newfound ally.  
“How can we leave it be? They will tear us apart, Cassandra!” She fumed.   
“Then tell them I have no clan. Tell them I was an outcast, as Solas is. It’s not unheard of. Uncommon perhaps. Spin it in a way that I was ashamed of being without kin. Tell them they were slaughtered. It’s not too difficult a concept for them to grasp at this point. If they want a name, call me Blade. It’s as good as any and better than Herald of Andraste or Your Worship.” I hissed.   
“It would work, Leliana. They will be unable to prove otherwise. This doesn’t have to be the disaster we all fear it to be. The right lies, lies of omission even, will pave the way. Do not make him mourn as you did.” Josephine prodded her. Leliana looked as if she had been punched.   
As she had mourned?!?  
“When do we leave?” I asked tight lipped. There was a long pause.   
“Two days. We have horses to carry your party to Val Royeaux and back. If everything goes smoothly, you should only be gone a week at most.” Cullen finally answered. Josephine and Leliana were still staring at one another, though it had changed to something softer. I swallowed bitterly.   
“My name is Blade. I have no clan. I believe in the Creators of my people, honoring Dirthamen, Secret Keeper, as my vallaslin would suggest. I am an agent of the Inquisition. I can close the rifts that have become commonplace throughout the south. Seeing as I have no family to return to, I will be staying with the Inquisition for the foreseeable future. Is there any other lie I need to know?” No one answered. Fine.   
I rose from my chair and exited the Chantry as quickly as I could manage. I couldn’t breathe.   
Screams. The smell of burning flesh. The hollowed out corpse of an aravel. Halla screaming in agony.   
Where is Mahah? Why did she never come home? Where is my sister?  
Burning pain across my chest. I think I’m dying.  
I barely make it to the shrubs beside the Chantry before I began to hurl stomach bile


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9  
Val Royeaux was a nightmare. Between the Templars leaving the Chantry in such a grand fashion, meeting the least elf-like elf in my life, and not to mention the court enchanter who had treated me like a child with no wits, I was done with Orlais.   
Thankfully, upon returning to Haven, there was no pressing need to rush back to the Hinterlands quite yet. While the invitation to Redcliff from Fiona was intriguing, the council members had yet to decide if they would take her up on her offer. Cullen was still resolutely determined to reach out to the Templars despite their display in Val Royeaux.   
But it gave me time to unwind and venture out beyond the sprawling village of Haven for the first time.   
Tracking and hunting took up a large portion of my time, and I would only return to the village when the sun was so low to the horizon that the mountains gobbled up the light like some giant beast. For once, no one sought me out and I was able to just feel like Kaytr again.  
But the nightmares plagued me worse than ever before. Not since my first clan had been slaughtered had I had such atrocious dreams. Dreams of my sister burning in the maw of some great beast. My friends and family nothing more than charred corpses strewn about an empty field.   
I would wake each night in a cold sweat, fear rippling off of me in waves. It had been years since I had been forced to relive those dreams. Years and years.   
It was a particularly gloomy day and the rain had kept me from the fields when I wandered into Leliana’s fortress of secrets.   
The last time I had dared interrupt her, she had accused me of knowing the Maker’s plans. Demanded to know what he wanted from his followers. I had been angry enough to tell her off and hadn’t dared to return to visit her. But something about the way the tent flap hung open drew me inside once more.   
Leliana was quietly talking to one of her spies about one of our agents that had betrayed another agent. Gotten him killed by the sound of it. I grimaced as she ordered the traitor’s execution.   
“Is that necessary?” I asked her quietly. She turned to regard me for a long moment.   
“He killed one of my best agents. He will pay for what was done, for betraying us.” She answered tightly. I shook my head.   
“So now we answer death with more death? How does that fix any of this?” I asked her plainly. She frowned.   
“We cannot afford to have such moral quandaries. If we are to be taken seriously, we must be swift and decisive in how we deal with this. Otherwise anyone might betray us. Our people would die for nothing.” She explained slowly.   
“I believe this is the perfect time to think about these ‘moral quandaries’ as you call them. Aren’t we supposed to be better than our enemies? We are here to bring justice and peace to the world, not enslave them in fear.” I countered. Leliana regarded me hard and I thought she would dismiss me altogether.  
“You feel very strongly about this, yes?” She asked curiously. I nodded slowly. She sighed and turned back to her spy.   
“Apprehend Butler. See that he is not harmed. He will be judged before a council of his peers.” The spy bowed and slipped away into the early morning light. I watched him curiously.   
“Why?” I asked her simply. She sighed and motioned for me to take a seat. As I sat in the hard chair, I couldn’t help but to feel as a child.   
“These past years have been very difficult for all of us. You would have been young when the Blight occurred, but I was there. I stood beside Maharial as she was forced to make decisions that would change the way the world worked. I saw my best friend fall before the Archdemon. I mourned beside Alistair at her funeral. He still pines for the memory of what he should have had.” She looked sad and I had to fight the pang of guilt and fear. Anger.  
“I was planning on returning to Orlais when I heard what happened to her clan. She was such a dear friend of mine and I was so enraged at what had happened. I blamed Alistair for not protecting them. He should have known the danger they were in, should have done something. Maharial might have saved the world, but she had made many enemies as well. I forced Alistair’s hand to send troops in the name of justice. And I saw what they had done to her friends and family.” Leliana sucked in a shaky breath.  
“Did you know she had a brother? He likely would have been around your age. Kaytr, his name was. She spoke of him all the time. How much she wanted to go home, just so she could see him again, to hold him and know it had not been for nothing. There was so little left of her clan that I didn’t even know which he was.” I watched as a tear slid down her face.   
“I do understand, very well, why you fear retribution on your clan, Blade. You are doing this for the betterment of the world, just as she did. And none of us take that for granted. Sometimes, it is difficult to pull myself out of the role I have been playing for so many years now. To really understand the way people think, or perhaps why they think that way to begin with. So yes, you felt very strongly about not killing Butler in cold blood. Perhaps it is what will happen anyways. But he will be judged and his peers will look into his eyes before making that decision.” I shivered.   
“The world needs more people like you and Maharial. Sometimes the world must listen to what others are saying and why they are saying them. We do not want to world to think us power hungry or ruthless. We want the world to believe that we are working to leave it a better place. And that only starts if we treat people as though they matter and hold them accountable for what they have and haven't done.” I blinked in surprise and no small amount of relief. Perhaps they were listening after all.  
“What you did with the mages in the Hinterlands, not many would have trusted the elf to stop their attacks. To get them to join us peaceably. But you trusted her and you did the impossible. You should have seen the look on Cullen’s face when I gave him your report.” Leliana giggled, provoking a dry chuckle of my own.  
“You should have seen Cassandra’s face when she saw it happen.” I added. Leliana smiled. It was surprisingly soft for such a hard woman.  
“You surprise us, Blade. Both in your compassion for people despite what you have endured, and in your abilities to invoke loyalty in others. No one could have done what you did. And no one would have given the mages a chance to prove their worth. But even in your desire to give them a fighting chance at a normal life, you still care deeply about what happens to those around them. Life is about compromise. And you give our group and refreshing ability to see its worth. And for that alone, I will listen to your council on matters.” I chuckled softly.   
“You find humor in this?” She asked curiously. I shook my head.   
“No. But if you had asked me a month ago if I thought we would be having this conversation at all, I would have written you off as insane. The feared left hand of the Divine and survivor of the Blight, listening to the most unlucky Dalish elf of all time? Absolutely absurd.” I chuckled again. This time Leliana giggled as well.  
“I don’t know about the most unlucky of all time. I think Maharial might get that title. But I see your point. If you have told me when we found you walking out of the Fade in the Temple of Sacred Ashes that you would sit among us, I would have said the same. But here we are.” She gestured to the village as a whole. I sighed wearily. Creators, had it really been such a short time?  
“I would also like to apologize for my behavior when you returned from the Hinterlands. You had every right to be distrustful, to want to protect your family. I should not have been so combative. I had not meant to be. Sometimes, it is difficult to hear the word ‘no’ in my line of work.” I nodded.   
“I understand. And I wish I could be more forward with you all. But I have seen what happens. And I will never let that happen again if I can prevent it.” Leliana nodded and rose from her chair.   
“I must get back to work. I believe there was someone Josephine wanted you to speak with this morning. A mercenary. He works with a company called the Chargers. They are interested in working for us, but would like to show off before we decide. I believe he was hoping he could convince you to accompany him to the Storm Coast for a demonstration.” Leliana sighed heavily.   
“That will take some time. Shouldn’t we be focusing on approaching either the Mages or Templars?” I asked her curiously. She nodded very slightly.   
“We should. But since we cannot come to an agreement, getting some work done would be best, don’t you agree?” I rose to my feet. Yes, work would help.   
“Do you know where I might find this mercenary?” She nodded.   
“He is in the tavern having breakfast. My people have been keeping a close eye on him.” She answered my unspoken question. I grinned.   
“I suppose I should find him. I don’t suppose you could inform my traveling companions that we are going to have to go to one of the most rainy regions of the south, could you?” Leliana chuckled.   
“Solas is going to love that.” She chuckled.   
“You have no idea.” I called over my shoulder, heading for the tavern.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10  
The Chargers were a force to be reckoned with. Krem hadn’t been lying when he claimed they were the best money could buy. And The Iron Bull was huge. Like damn.  
Bull was the epitome of a qunari. He was over a foot taller than me and three times as wide. He was missing an eye, but seemed to see just about everything. Not to mention he was a spy.  
I was surprised that he had admitted it outright. And more than a little worried what Leliana would think once I had a chance to debrief her of the situation. Having the Qun watching our every move was not a good thing, no matter how Bull tried to assuage my guilt.   
But he seemed a good man no matter what his chosen profession. And his company seemed to adore him to little pieces. It was almost comical.  
When we arrived back in Haven, the stalemate had yet to be resolved among the councilors and I was just about at my wits end with them all.  
That was how I found myself in the tavern with Bull, drinking a very dry bottle of wine that was almost better than the swill they called ale.   
“How does this place function without someone on top?” Bull complained loudly. I chuckled at the double meaning and Bull winked with his one eye. So odd.  
“It doesn’t very well. I have half a mind to walk right into the Chantry and clap them all upside the heads with their stupid reports. Of course then I would be back in the dungeons and I never want to be there again.” I chuckled at my own bit of wit. Bull’s chuckle was like an avalanche.  
“Again? You mean you’ve been there before?” He asked boisterously. A few of the soldiers smattered around the room gave us odd looks.   
“Once. Cassandra threatened to have me executed even.” Bull blinked in surprise.   
“Shit! No kidding?” He asked slightly more seriously.   
“Yep. But then I saved everyone’s asses and they started calling me, an elf with dark blue vallaslin, the Herald of Bloody Andraste herself. Haven’t been able to shake them all ever since.” Bull was silent for a long moment before laughing uproariously.   
“No shit! So you were the one, huh? I heard the rumors, but never put those pieces together. I suppose they wouldn’t want anyone to really know, now would they. And now they have you on their council, doing all their legwork. Some sense of gratitude.” Bull polished off his ale with a loud belch. Flissa appeared magically with another and he gave her an appreciative leer.   
“If you had your choice, who would you pick?” He asked me slightly more quietly. I blinked in surprise.   
“You know, no one has bothered to ask me my opinion. But I would choose the mages. The Templars are out of control. They can’t stand to lose even an ounce of power. The mages just want a chance to be free like everyone else. This is their chance to prove they deserve it.” Bull nodded thoughtfully.   
“You might have a point there, Boss. Plus, you already have a shit ton of mages walking around the village. At least they would feel right at home. And all that shit Red has them doing. Policing themselves. Gotta wonder how she came up with that.” I gave him a flat stare over the rim of my glass and he nearly choked.   
“You came up with that?” He asked loudly. I nodded. Bull roared with laughter.   
“Got all the nobles shitting themselves over it, I bet. Good on you, Boss.” Bull gently tapped our glasses together. Such a conundrum, this qunari.  
“Yes, well someone had to come up with a plan. And apparently I’m the do-gooder around here. Yay me.” I said deadpan over my glass. Bull snorted.   
“Of course you’re a do-gooder. You won’t even tell anyone your name because you’re terrified they’ll take it out on your clan. How could you not care about everyone and their opinion of you?” Bull downed his second drink. I sighed heavily.   
“Oh yes, it’s all about my clan, isn’t it? How do you even know I have one?” I asked acidly. Bull paused as he accepted another round from Flissa.   
“Shit, Boss. I’m a spy remember? You don’t have the loner type vibe going on. You care too much. About everything. I’d even bet a hundred sovereigns you have a mage in the family.” I winced. Damn. Was I that easy to read?  
Mahah…  
“Shit, Boss. I’m sorry. I didn’t realize…” I smacked the back of the qunari’s hand.   
What the hell did they teach their spies?  
“Can we just talk about something else? Before Leliana knows all my secrets?” I asked him very quietly. Bull nodded shallowly.   
“So you would pick the mages. What would you do about the Vints vying for their attention?” Bull asked curiously. I gave him a quizzical look. Then what he said registered.   
“Tevinter? In Fereldan?” I asked him sharply. Bull nodded very slowly.   
Shit, shit, shit!!  
I sprang out of my chair and out of the tavern before Bull could even try to stop me.   
How the hell had he known and our spies in the area had no clue? Creators…This was just the thing that would ruin the mages for good.  
I slammed through the doors of the war room, surprised eyes jumping to me.   
“We need to go to Redcliff. Now!” I shouted. Josephine winced at how shrill I was.   
“Blade, what’s this about?” Cullen asked slowly. I shook my head. I was just tipsy enough that the room spun with the effort.   
“I got a report yesterday. There’s a magister in Redcliff. Been there for days. He’s wooing the mages into indentured servitude. For his aid in the war against the Templars.” Bull made me jump two feet in the air. How had I not heard him following me?  
“You’re sure about this?” Leliana asked sharply. Bull nodded.   
“My reports are kinda sketchy, but they’re definitely there. I just thought you knew since you had people nearby.” Bull half-apologized.   
“If the rebel mages have sided with Tevinter, we could have a full scale war on our hands.” Cullen hissed.   
“We need to stop this madness. Neither Fereldan nor Orlais will abide by this. They will march their armies on the rebel mages in force to stamp out the threat.” Josephine trilled.   
“We will have to leave at dawn. I need eyes inside of Redcliff, Leliana. We need to know what we’re walking into.” I directed them. Leliana nodded, snatching up a quill and parchment.  
“We have a number of forces in the Hinterlands. I will send as many Templars with you as I have available, Herald. We must be prepared for whatever outcome.” Cullen began pacing.   
“I will send word to Denerim. If they have not heard word of this already, they must be made aware. At the least, our forces can stall the mages while Queen Annora musters a force to put an end to this madness.” Josephine began scribbling furiously.   
“I will need have Cassandra and the others informed. They need to be prepared for travel.” I added. Leliana nodded.   
“Bull, I need everything you have on the situation.” Leliana demanded. Bull nodded, watching everyone get to work.   
It was very late by the time we had everything under control. Well, as much as we were able given the circumstances. Leliana had grilled Bull until her teeth bled about everything we needed to know. Cassandra had shown up looking as though she had been tumbled from her bed and rushed here without bothering to make herself presentable.   
“We can do nothing else from here, Herald. You should get some sleep while you still can.” Cullen advised me. I nodded slowly.   
“I will accompany you myself to take charge of my people in the Hinterlands. Until we have this situation under control, there is little I can do from here.” Leliana promised. Josephine seemed ready to object, but Leliana cut her a long look before she nodded.   
“I’ll see you all in the morning then.” I bid them all goodnight and slipped away into the night.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11  
Dorian  
The Inquisition forces were crawling all over Redcliff now. Somehow they had been tipped off about Alexius and his mad scheme despite his time magic. However it was done, it still wasn’t enough to discourage Fiona into making a deal with the devil.   
I watched as the Herald of Andraste was shepherded into the inn to meet with Alexius. If only they had gotten here a day sooner…  
But there was no time to second guess. If anyone could stop Alexius and his evil plans, it was the Inquisition.   
I had been hearing all about their good works for nearly a week now. How they had ended the Mage-Templar conflict in a matter of days. Their compassion for the simple folk of the area. How they had defied the Chantry at every turn.   
It was like a bad serial you couldn’t stop reading. You knew something bad was going to happen, but the heroes were just so…good. You couldn’t help but to cheer for them from the sidelines.   
Though, if everything went to plan, I wouldn’t be sitting on the sidelines much longer.  
Felix had one job. Deliver his note to the Herald and haul his ass to the Chantry where I would be waiting. Then we could spill the beans together.   
Of course, nothing was ever that simple.  
The Chantry was swarming with demons. A Fade rift had formed in the center of the chapel, distorted with time magic. I cursed soundly, but moved to engage. As long as the Herald and his gang of do-gooders showed up, I’d be fine.  
And show up they did. I was almost stunned by the raw, haunting beauty that was the Herald. Long silver hair was plaited away from his face in an intricate braid. Sapphire eyes gleamed with a sharp intensity that bespoke of great intelligence. And the deep blue tattooing around his face only seemed to accentuate his features.   
Damn…I might be in over my head.  
But the Herald wasted no time in helping dispatch the demons and closing the rift that that fascinating mark upon his hand. I had heard the rumors, of course. But it was another thing entirely to see it in action.  
“How does that work, exactly?” I asked him critically, as soon as the rift closed with a pop. The elf gave me a look that seemed to scream ‘Are you serious?”.   
“Forgive me my deplorable manners. I’m Dorian of house Pavus, most recently of Minrathous. How do you do?” I swept a very elegant bow. When I rose back up, they all were just staring at me.   
“Never trust the pretty ones. It’s always the pretty ones.” The qunari muttered darkly. I chuckled.   
“What suspicious friends you seem to have!” I quipped sarcastically. But at least he called me pretty.   
“Are you done yet?” The elf asked deadpan. I winced. Too much apparently. He was one of those Dalish. I wondered how much courtly manners he even knew. Ah, well…  
“I apologize. You must be ever so curious as to what this is about.” I tried to recover. The scowling Seeker made a disgusted noise.   
“He’s a magister. Can’t we just kill him?” She asked boldly. The elf chuckled.   
“Oh, I don’t know. He did help us close the rift.” Those startling blue eyes finally had a touch of warmth in them. Well now…  
“Indeed. And just because I’m from Tevinter does not make me a magister. I’m an altus.” All but the qunari looked lost. I sighed dramatically.   
“Upper class, probably destined for the magisterium once his old man or lady croaks. Still a royal pain in our asses.” The qunari explained. I frowned.   
How uncouth…  
“A much more simplified version, but you could say that. I’m here to warn you about Alexius. He’s much more dangerous than he appears.” That got the elf’s attention.   
“Go on.” He said that that bedroom voice.   
“Ah…yes…well, there are parts I do not fully understand, but to make a very long story short, Alexius has used time magic to steal the mage rebellion out from under you.” Such an oversimplification.   
“Time magic? How is such a thing even possible?” The elf turned to the other bald elf. Ah, a mage.  
“I have never heard of such magic before. But if what he says is true, then the situation is far direr than even we anticipated. It might also explain why Fiona does not remember meeting us in Val Royeaux and why our people cannot seem to recall this Alexius arriving in Redcliff.” The mage conjectured.   
“Indeed. I know what I’m talking about. Alexius was once my mentor. We worked tirelessly on this magic, but we could never get it to work. I don’t know how Alexius has figured it out, or why now, but we can be sure that its use is likely unraveling the world.” The beautiful elf’s eyes shot up again.  
“Unraveling the world?” He asked sharply. I nodded.   
“You noticed how this rift seemed to distort time around it, yes? Sometimes slowing things down, other times speeding it up? That will only continue to manifest and further and further from Redcliff unless we put a stop to whatever Alexius is doing.” I explained. The elf nodded slowly.   
“If Alexius was your mentor, how do you expect us to trust you?” The scowling woman demanded. I sighed.   
“Let us just say we had a falling out. That is why I do not know why he is doing what he is doing. Only the theoretical version of how.” Maker, they were a little slow weren’t they?  
“He’s joined a cult. Tevinter extremists. They call themselves the Venatori.” Felix…  
Felix walked into view from the rear of the Chantry. He looked so gaunt, barely a ghost of the man he once was.   
“Does he suspect anything?” I asked him carefully. Felix shook his head.   
“No. But I shouldn’t have played the illness card. I thought he’d be fussing over me all day.” He explained. I frowned. Felix was indeed looking peakier than usual. And that was saying something.  
“What does this cult have to do with the mage rebellion?” The pretty one asked.   
“Nothing. They want to stop you. I’m not sure exactly to the meaning of it, but something you did, whether just surviving the Temple of Sacred Ashes or something more has painted a target on your back. They want you dead.” Felix explained. Oh, my…  
“And we should believe you because?” The woman demanded. I sighed. Such a distrustful lot.   
“Because I know my father. I don’t know what they have promised him, but he will stop at nothing until you are dead Herald. He is blind in his devotion. He doesn’t care about the mages. He only want to stop you.” Felix rested a hip against an overturned pew. He looked terrible.   
“And here I didn’t get Alexius anything for his troubles.” The elf quipped. I chuckled.   
“Send him a fruit basket. Everyone loves those.” I added humorously. The elf smirked.   
“This is nice and all, but what do we do about him?” The qunari asked deadpan. Spoil sport.  
“That I do not know. My father is powerful. And has brought many mages with him to Redcliff. The arl has been displaced to Denerim. He controls the castle. It is like a fortress. You will need every advantage if you intend to survive him.” Felix answered. The elf frowned.   
“And what would you have us do with your father? He has proven dangerous. We cannot allow him to wander free.” The elf asked tightly.   
“I love my father. And I love my country. But this cult…They will destroy him one way or another. I cannot make requests based on what he has done. I can only ask that he be tried fairly, should he survive you.” Felix answered with honesty.   
The world is too good for him.  
“We will have to think on this. But I thank you both for your honesty.” The elf began to turn around, his companions falling into place around him.   
“If you intend to confront Alexius, I want to be there.” I ventured far more boldly than propriety allowed. I swallowed thickly as the elf turned to regard me.   
“Our camp is situated south of the Crossroads. If you feel a desire to help, find us there. Otherwise, stay out of the way if you value your life.” The elf warned. I nodded curtly and the Inquisition soldiers disappeared. I sighed dramatically again.   
“We’re in a load of trouble now, aren’t we?” I asked rhetorically. Felix chuckled.   
“Aren’t we always?” He answered.   
“How are you feeling?” I asked him awkwardly. He smiled grimly.   
“Some days are better than others. But it would be a lie to say I feel good. I just worry about this mess. Did we do right by contacting the Herald?” He asked nervously. I nodded.   
“We both know the Venatori are dangerous. They will ruin what little respect Tevinter has left. And this Elder One…I don’t like any of this Felix. We could all die any day.” Felix chuckled weakly.   
“There are worse things than dying, Dorian.” He clapped me on the shoulder before slipping away once more.   
Damn…


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12  
We had been so sure of everything. Leliana had found a way inside the castle to clear the way. Dorian was fighting alongside her. Bull and Cassandra escorted me into the hall and we made a very public and humiliating display.   
But somehow it all went wrong. I didn’t exactly know what was happening. It felt as though I was falling through gelatin, thick and suffocating. And then suddenly I was dumped into a pool of water.   
No. Not a pool. A dungeon filled with water. And I was surrounded by…  
Red lyrium…By the Dread Wolf…  
It was everywhere. And spluttering in the water beside me…  
Dorian…   
“What the hell happened?” I shouted. I could feel the buzz of the red lyrium all around. It set my teeth on edge.  
Dorian began spouting off a bunch of magical nonsense and I frowned at him. Did he ever stop?  
“If I had to guess, Alexius meant to erase you from time itself. If you never were, whatever you stopped at the Temple of Sacred Ashes would never have been stopped. But my spell must have distorted his own. We were likely thrown through a rift in time. But it begs the question, where are we and when are we?” He explained. I stiffened.   
“You mean to tell me that we could be anywhere, anywhen, and there is no way of knowing?” I barked. Dorian cringed.   
“We will figure it out, Blade. Just…” There was a crash and two Venatori agents crashed into the cell. I spared a quick glance at Dorian and he just grimaced before flourishing his staff at the Venatori. Alright. Fight first. Questions after.  
The two Venatori were either terrible at their jobs, or we had so soundly confused them with our abrupt arrival that they were unable to muster a defense. In short order both were dead.  
“You’re handy in a fight, Blade.” Dorian huffed, winded just a little. I grimaced.   
“Let’s just figure out how to get back to our when, shall we?” I asked him sharply. Dorian considered me, but only nodded as we made our way out of the cell and into the labyrinthine dungeon.  
“This looks very familiar. Take out the red lyrium and drain the water, I think we’re still in Redcliff castle.” Dorian mused. I grunted that I understood, but it made little difference. If we could not get out of this when and back to our own time…I didn’t want to think about it.  
The first person we stumbled upon was Fiona. She was encased to the waist in red lyrium and her breathing was erratic and painful sounding.   
There was no helping the mage, but she did manage to give us some information at least about when we were. We had lost a whole year. And apparently the war.   
“Can you get us back if we can get the amulet from Alexius?” I demanded roughly from Dorian. He nodded uncertainly.   
“I believe I can, but there’s no way to know until we acquire said amulet. Keep moving.” He pressed me forward gently.   
I didn’t pay much attention to my surrounding, troubled deeply by what was happening. What had happened to the world in our absence? And how had so much happened in only a year?  
We stumbled across Bull and Cassandra in the dungeons. Both were growing red lyrium, their eyes glowing eerily red. Both seemed mostly all right, but they watched us as if arisen from the dead. It gave me the chills.   
The castle was crawling with Venatori. We found Leliana being tortured in another part of the castle, but she was tight lipped. All she seemed to care about was stopping this future from happening. Not that she would tell us much about what had happened.   
Dorian let Leliana lead the way, Cassandra and Bull at her back. He watched me guardedly.   
“Are you all right?” He asked cautiously. I gave him an incredulous look.   
“We’ve been blasted forward in time. And apparently lost some war that we didn’t even know we were fighting. What happens if we can’t get back, Dorian?” I hissed. He frowned.   
“Then I suspect we will just have to cause mischief in this time. But until that becomes a certainty, you need to focus on the here and now, Blade.” He frowned.   
“What?” I asked sharply.   
“Your name. It just doesn’t fit right, does it?” He asked. I scoffed.   
“That’s what you’re worried about right now? That my name doesn’t sound right?” I nearly shouted. Leliana gave us a dark look.   
“Worried, no. Just contemplating. I can think about several things at once, can’t I?” Dorian quipped. I hissed at him, teeth bared.   
“I’ll tell you what, you get us out of this mess, and I’ll think about telling you my real name.” It was foolish on so many levels, but damn it if this whole situation wasn’t foolish and deadly. But Dorian just nodded.   
“One time reversal spell in exchange for your name. That sounds fair enough.” Dorian quipped. I actually laughed at that.   
“Will you two shut it, and just follow?” Bull reprimanded us. I swallowed thickly, but nodded. I was getting too close to hysteria as it was.  
We wound through the castle, up and up until we finally reached the courtyard. What we found there nearly sent me into a fit.  
“The Breech…” I gasped.   
“It’s everywhere.” Dorian finished for me. And true enough, the Breech had expanded so large, there was no sky left. Only swirling green and grey.   
“It was the Elder One’s master plan. Crack open the sky and step into the Fade. He became a god.” Cassandra lamented. Leliana nodded.   
“He used a demon army to wipe out all of southern Thedas after the assassination of Empress Celene. There was no one left to challenge him.” Leliana added dead pan. I shivered.   
“We can stop this.” I said with more bluster than I possessed. Dorian chuckled.  
“An optimist. Such a rare breed. I think I might have stumbled upon a unicorn.” That drew another dry chuckle.   
“Hush, both of you.” Leliana shushed us. I looked beyond her to see several demons loitering before an open Fade rift.   
“Time to do what I do best, I suppose.” Cassandra gave me a watery look, but just nodded.   
The rift closed with no trouble. But there were three more. By the time I had sealed them, we were all panting.   
“I almost forgot what that was like.” Cassandra whispered. I gave her a quizzical look.   
“After you died, there was no one to close the rifts. They just kept popping up all over. You have no idea the damage they caused.” Bull explained. I swallowed thickly. Shit.   
“Keep moving. The great hall isn’t far.” Leliana urged us. I staggered after her, barely keeping my feet under me.  
The great hall boasted two more Fade rifts. And several Venatori. Cassandra Silenced the Venatori while the rest of us focused on the demons and the rifts. These were just like the ones in our time inside Redcliff, time distorting throughout the room. It took longer than I liked to get them closed, but eventually the room fell silent except for the dripping of water.   
“Alexius is through there.” Leliana pointed to a massive door that had not been there in our year.  
Dorian studied the lock for a long while before finally figuring it out. Apparently it needed keys. And we had to hunt them down.  
Every part of me was hurting at this point. Between the fighting, closing the damn Fade rifts, and the red lyrium that was everywhere, I had trouble focusing. Dorian and Bull kept giving me concerned looks, but I would just shake my head and peel away before they could inquire further.   
The keys took forever to track down. How it required so many was beyond me. Every one of the bearers would have to congregate to get into the throne room. It was maddening.   
But eventually track them down we did. And unlock the door they did. And inside was indeed Alexius. And Felix…  
Felix was barely more than skin and bone wrapped around the skeleton of a man. His skin was hardened and dark. His hair was gone. I felt more than saw Dorian stiffen in anguish beside me.   
Alexius didn’t even try to fight. He knew we would come for him. After everything he had done. The Elder One had indeed broken him.  
But when Leliana sliced her blade across Felix’s throat, the man seemed to become possessed. I had never been forced to fight a mage quite like him, and I hoped I never would again.  
But eventually he lay across the floor in pool of his own blood.   
Dorian plucked the time amulet from around his neck, avoiding looking straight at the man who had once been his mentor. My heart bled for him, to see the anguish on his face.   
“This Alexius was too far gone, Dorian. But the one in our time may yet still be saved.” I tried to comfort him. Dorian nodded as though this was a matter of fact.   
“Give me an hour and I will be able to replicate the spell he used to get us back.” He answered instead. Leliana scoffed.   
“An hour! You do not have the time. The Elder One is coming!” She shouted. Just as she finished her tirade, the castle shook from the force of some beast’s cry. Dorian looked around in fear.   
Cassandra and Bull just nodded to one another.   
“We’ll buy you time. Get that spell going. Now!’ Bull shouted as Dorian continued to flounder.   
“You can’t…” I pleaded. Bull just waved me off.   
“We’re already dead, Boss. You need to get back to the past to stop all this mess.” Cassandra nodded in agreement.  
“It has been an honor and a privilege. Now, quickly!” She grasped Bull’s arm and pulled him back into the main hall, the door closing behind the ominously. The beast cried out again, and the castle shook.   
“You have as much time as I have arrows.” Leliana promised us, stringing her bow once more. Dorian swallowed, but began his spellwork.   
The castle was quaking in full now. The cries of various demons and that huge beast could be heard throughout the castle. I shivered beside Dorian, unsure what to do myself.   
“My name is Kaytr.” I mumbled. Dorian looked up from his work, eyes shrewd.   
If I was going to die, someone should know my name. Even if it was only the Tevinter mage with quicksilver eyes.   
The door flung wide, the impact shaking us where we stood. Leliana began firing off her arrows.   
“Though darkness closes, I am shielded by flame.” Leliana began to chant. The door of the throne room burst open. A terror demon tossed Bull’s dead body to the ground.   
“Andraste, guide me. Maker, take me to your side.” Leliana chanted as she let loose her arrows. Each one found a mark on a soldier or a demon. They fell where they stood and did not stir. I wanted to go to her, to help her. Leliana was struck by an arrow in the shoulder and she cried out in pain. I moved involuntarily towards her. Dorian grabbed my arm, holding me back.  
“You move, we all die.” He shouted. His spell was beginning to take hold and green light suffused the amulet. Leliana managed to keep her feet somehow and began hitting the soldiers and demons with her bow like a club. A particularly deadly club.  
The rift finally began to open and Dorian urged me through. I turned back one last time to see a soldier grab Leliana from behind. She screamed in pain as a terror demon ripped into her. I turned and fled through the rift. There was a flash of white light and we were standing on the exact spot we had disappeared from one year ago.   
“You’ll have to do better than that.” Dorian sassed Alexius. He fell to his knees, stunned and broken.   
“Is that the best you’ve got?” I shouted at him angrily. I had just watched all my friends die. I was more than pissed off. But we had won, hadn’t we? Alexius hung his head in shame.  
“You won. There’s no point extending this charade.” Alexius admitted. He looked up at his son, sad and afraid. “Felix…” He called to him. Felix walked over to him and knelt down in front of him.  
“It’s going to be alright, father.” Felix tried to comfort Alexius. Alexius shook his head.  
“You’ll die.” He cried.   
“Everyone dies.” Felix said bitterly. A moment passed between father and son and Alexius’s head dropped. I snapped my fingers at the Inquisition agents around us and they too him into custody. Felix followed them out of the castle watching us sadly. They would never know what might have happened.

**Author's Note:**

> Obviously I do not known the rights to any of this story or its characters.  
> Feedback is always appreciated =)


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